True. Hopefully, that can change. USC has made huge strides in the last 20 years academically. We used to be a joke academically not too long ago, at least in comparison to crosstown rival UCLA (a very good school). But now USC is ranked better than UCLA academically. Not a knock at all on UCLA. It’s a top knotch school.

Troy Polamalu never graduated when he left USC. However, he used the recent NFL lockout to go back and get his degree. Very wise to use that time constructively. I also don’t think graduation rate is a big deal. Graduating from college doesn’t instantly make you smarter. My wife hasn’t yet graduated and is really brilliant. In fact, for me, getting into USC 100 times harder than graduating from USC.

]]>By: frank boothhttp://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/reports-fcs-bound-mathieu-failed-drug-tests-ahead-of-lsu-boot/#comment-99931
Mon, 13 Aug 2012 05:50:27 +0000http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=165744#comment-99931Even when you compensate for the players that USC sends via the draft to the pros, the graduation rate is still low as compared to other schools. That’s just a fact.
]]>By: papabush88http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/reports-fcs-bound-mathieu-failed-drug-tests-ahead-of-lsu-boot/#comment-99930
Mon, 13 Aug 2012 04:58:47 +0000http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=165744#comment-99930@ frank booth

Saying USC sends the most players to the draft is not and excuse; it’s a fact. And most first rounders. And most pro bowlers.

Yes, basketball team is bad. But college basketball lost its luster. All good players are one and done. Competition isn’t great anymore. And it makes NBA bad too because, in my opinion, one year of college ball is not enough to get you ready for the pros

The rate doesn’t include outgoing transfers and other departures (such as the NFL draft) as long as they were in good academic standing when they left.

You need to stop pretending and digging for excuses. USC falls short in basketball as well (2nd worst in the PAC-12), and their success rate in graduation rates for African-Americans in football is among the worst also.

USC churns and burns athletes, like many other college sports factories do.

Forgive me but I don’t think Stanford is sending as many players to the NFL as USC is. Last year was an exception but since USC has sent the most players all time to the NFL draft, not many guys are finishing up school. Theyre leaving as juniors like Matt Kalil and Nick Perry. Not staying for graduation like Luck. Same with Vanderbilt and Michigan. Notre Dame, on the other hand, is an exceptional school and even though they aren’t winning games like they used to, they are still sending good players to the NFL. But again, some stay to graduate like Manti Teo

Yeah USC is tough school. Not surprised grad rate is low for football players. Fortunately, as Kiffin has said and show by example, he is now trying to recruit smarter athletes. However his motive for that is most likely so recruits can enroll early and don’t count against scholarship reductions.

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Stanford’s rate is 89 percent: Michigan is 71, Vanderbilt is 91, Notre Dame is 96. And there are plenty more good universities with much better grad rates than USC.

Reg students graduate from SC at an 85 percent clip, while football players graduate at a rate of 58 percent, the 4th highest differential in college football. It’s not about SC being so tough- it’s about letting in substandard students in as athletes

My experience has shown me that when people like yourself bash other people’s education, it usually means you’re compensating for some shortfall in your own life…like low self-esteem. You try to make yourself feel better by trying to pull other people down, rather than lifting yourself up. I’ve known knuckleheads from great schools, and extremely bright people from not-so-great schools. You need to find some other way to feel good about whatever you might have done in your life (and graduating from USC may very well be your high point…which is sad).

]]>By: iownyou2http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/reports-fcs-bound-mathieu-failed-drug-tests-ahead-of-lsu-boot/#comment-99812
Sat, 11 Aug 2012 20:52:32 +0000http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=165744#comment-99812What a shocker. Another fine SEC talent.
]]>By: dkhhueyhttp://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/reports-fcs-bound-mathieu-failed-drug-tests-ahead-of-lsu-boot/#comment-99804
Sat, 11 Aug 2012 20:02:25 +0000http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=165744#comment-99804Ah – it must be getting close to football season because that means there is always going to be a jackass irish fan touting scholastic statistics in lieu of football performance actually played on the field! Enjoy your normal plummet back to irrelevance starting with game 2 or so…
]]>By: deepfreezerobhttp://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/reports-fcs-bound-mathieu-failed-drug-tests-ahead-of-lsu-boot/#comment-99801
Sat, 11 Aug 2012 19:41:32 +0000http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=165744#comment-99801Start all the Lions jokes you want to but hell if Detroit could get him I wouldn’t be mad. Oh and Joe Dumars went to McNeese State
]]>By: papabush88http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/reports-fcs-bound-mathieu-failed-drug-tests-ahead-of-lsu-boot/#comment-99800
Sat, 11 Aug 2012 19:40:49 +0000http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=165744#comment-99800@Frank booth

Yeah USC is tough school. Not surprised grad rate is low for football players. Fortunately, as Kiffin has said and show by example, he is now trying to recruit smarter athletes. However his motive for that is most likely so recruits can enroll early and don’t count against scholarship reductions.

]]>By: floridacockhttp://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/reports-fcs-bound-mathieu-failed-drug-tests-ahead-of-lsu-boot/#comment-99796
Sat, 11 Aug 2012 19:21:58 +0000http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=165744#comment-99796This is an athletic site. Why do any of you people care about the academics?! The vast amount of top athletes only care enough to stay eligible so they can have their shot at the pros. Sad but true.
]]>By: Debhttp://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/reports-fcs-bound-mathieu-failed-drug-tests-ahead-of-lsu-boot/#comment-99795
Sat, 11 Aug 2012 19:09:14 +0000http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=165744#comment-99795I’m not an LSU fan, but I’ve had two exceptional surgeons who were LSU grads, so I’m thankful for the educations they received in Baton Rouge. It’s not the school, it’s the student. You can go to Harvard and be an idiot. You can go to some rinky-dink school and turn out to be a fabulous artist, writer, doctor, lawyer, or all-around great person. Some of the most intelligent people I’ve ever known–some who’ve literally changed the world by building new governments in other countries–never went to college at all. So people who try to build themselves up–or tear others down–based on the ranking of a university are … kinda silly.
]]>By: frank boothhttp://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/reports-fcs-bound-mathieu-failed-drug-tests-ahead-of-lsu-boot/#comment-99792
Sat, 11 Aug 2012 18:45:48 +0000http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=165744#comment-99792papabush88 says:
Aug 10, 2012 7:44 PM
@suprmous

US News ranks LSU as #128 university. I know there are many universities in the country, but 128 is low when talking within the context of Div 1 sports. I think there are 120 schools in Div 1-A. However, it is a matter of how you look at it. I supposed you can look at the numbers yourself and make an argument supporting your opinion.

Tyrann Mathieu is an exceptional football player, but he made a lot of stupid mistakes. However, if I were putting together a team, my offense would be a bunch of talented but well disciplined and well behaved guys. My defense would be guys like Mathieu who have a chip on their shoulder and come from tough walks of life. Boy scouts on Offense and Thugs on Defense. Maybe that’s why the USC QBs have been so good. All are wealthy and affluent types from good families. And maybe that’s why SEC defenses are so good. They get rough and tough guys.

My education was just fine. Graduated from a school ranked #23 nationally.

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Regardless of the university’s ranking, there are plenty of easy majors at any national university, some even geared to making it easier on athletes. Whether at Michigan or USC, there are plenty of top athletes admitted that wouldn’t be there on academics, and are admitted on their athletic ability whereas they would be rejected without it. The academic counselors are aware of it, and athletes are steered into easier programs.

In fact, I believe about 12 years ago, it was USC that was placed on probation for having counselors write papers for athletes.

So you can stop playing the academics game with USC football. There are as many top athletes that are idiots there as there are at any school.

In 2010, USC’s grad rate for football was 58 percent, good for 6th in the PAC 10. That rate would put them 10th in the Big Ten and 9th in the SEC, below LSU. So while USC may be an excellent school, it means little if the athletes aren’t taking advantage of it, even less if the athletes are steered into easier programs, and even less when someone is doing their work for them.

“papabush88″, have you always been this ignorant, or is it a recent development?

]]>By: chmbahttp://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/reports-fcs-bound-mathieu-failed-drug-tests-ahead-of-lsu-boot/#comment-99759
Sat, 11 Aug 2012 13:54:23 +0000http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=165744#comment-99759@papabush – education is what you make of it generally. Virtually every school has strong points and weaker ones including LSU and USC. As far as U S News ranking, all public schools with open admission policies (state requirements) are hurt because a major factor is percentage of freshmen who were top 10% in high school – a challenge your USC doesn’t have to deal with. Instead of trashing other schools perhaps a little respect for Miles actually following the policy and being willing to dump a potential Heisman candidate might be more in order. USC alumni really don’t have any room to be throwing rocks!
]]>By: floridacockhttp://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/reports-fcs-bound-mathieu-failed-drug-tests-ahead-of-lsu-boot/#comment-99750
Sat, 11 Aug 2012 13:08:49 +0000http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=165744#comment-99750So McNeese State does not have a drug policy?
]]>By: cometkaziehttp://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/reports-fcs-bound-mathieu-failed-drug-tests-ahead-of-lsu-boot/#comment-99743
Sat, 11 Aug 2012 12:12:21 +0000http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=165744#comment-99743I believe the Forbes list was the result of an alumni poll, which loses a bit of objectivity.

Those polls don’t really tell us much as there are advantages of a small school, but they don’t generally have an engineering curriculum, etc, etc. Tulane, Centenary, and Louisiana College almost always rank ahead of LSU.

]]>By: cambodianbreastmilkhttp://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/reports-fcs-bound-mathieu-failed-drug-tests-ahead-of-lsu-boot/#comment-99739
Sat, 11 Aug 2012 10:52:51 +0000http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=165744#comment-99739Cool. He just went from guaranteed first round pick to character concerning second rounder. How dumb can a person be? I mean, at least Ricky retired, said he lost motivation to play, and told us he loves weed and was going to Africa (or wherever) . I can’t ever fault him for being honest.
]]>By: sunsation3413http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/reports-fcs-bound-mathieu-failed-drug-tests-ahead-of-lsu-boot/#comment-99736
Sat, 11 Aug 2012 06:28:58 +0000http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=165744#comment-99736Kid made stupid choices. He has given up millions and future security all in the name of smoking some fat ones. Even Randy Moss was bright enough to not get caught until after he signed his pro contracts!
]]>By: ampatsisahypocritehttp://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/reports-fcs-bound-mathieu-failed-drug-tests-ahead-of-lsu-boot/#comment-99724
Sat, 11 Aug 2012 04:02:22 +0000http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=165744#comment-99724Honey Badger don’t care!
]]>By: raysfan1http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/reports-fcs-bound-mathieu-failed-drug-tests-ahead-of-lsu-boot/#comment-99723
Sat, 11 Aug 2012 03:51:07 +0000http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=165744#comment-99723@papabush–
First, the most important thing about the quality of a college education,no matter which U a person attends (so long as it is accredited) is the effort that person puts into it. Also, yes, LSU ranked #128 on the US News overall list–out of 280 schools ranked. Based on that, if you are going to use school ranking as the criterion for education quality, then LSU is above the “average” of 140. Plus, you mentioned the fact that there are 120 FBS schools as if that is relevant to LSU’s US News ranking even though you must realize most of the universities on the list are not FBS schools, since your own at #23 is not an FBS school.

BTW, I went to one of the 2 schools tied for first.

]]>By: vincentbojacksonhttp://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/reports-fcs-bound-mathieu-failed-drug-tests-ahead-of-lsu-boot/#comment-99722
Sat, 11 Aug 2012 03:17:38 +0000http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=165744#comment-99722Honey Badger don’t care (about team rules).
]]>By: thraiderskinhttp://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/reports-fcs-bound-mathieu-failed-drug-tests-ahead-of-lsu-boot/#comment-99720
Sat, 11 Aug 2012 02:40:48 +0000http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=165744#comment-99720wow… what a moron. He literally gave LSU no other choice and what a tough choice it must have been. I feel bad for LSU, I really thought he had a good shot at being the third defensive player to win a Heisman, ever.
]]>By: Debhttp://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/reports-fcs-bound-mathieu-failed-drug-tests-ahead-of-lsu-boot/#comment-99717
Sat, 11 Aug 2012 01:15:16 +0000http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=165744#comment-99717He’s just going into his junior year, right? If he buckles down and has a clean year at an FCS school, could he return to LSU? Or is that out of the question?

And for those who keep saying that Mathieu, at 5’7″, is too short to play defensive back in the NFL, these come to mind …

Antoine Winfield, 5’9″, All-Pro & Pro Bowl corner for the Vikes.

Jim Leonhard, strong safety, 5’8″. An undrafted rookie w/Buffalo, he recorded 51 tackles in one season despite a calf injury and is the team’s sixth leading tackler; he just signed with Denver.

Bob Sanders, 5’8″, All-Pro & Pro Bowl strong safety, both an AFC and an NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

His personal issues may keep Mathieu from an NFL career, but his height wouldn’t.